Clearwater Business Task Force

Business Task Force Update

In 2011, Mayor Hibbard recommended and the City Council approved 18 business and resident stakeholders to serve as part of a Business Task Force to suggest ways to make Clearwater a more business friendly city. Working in concert with the Planning & Development, Official Records and Legislative Services, and other Development Review Committee departments, the group reviewed many of the city's Code of Ordinances and permitting processes to find ways to bring in more jobs, lower costs for small businesses, and streamline the process of going from "permit" to "construction."

The group provided their feedback, made formal recommendations to how the city's Code of Ordinance can be changed, and identified process and procedural improvements that can be made. Recommendations were brought forth to the City Council, and the city is now in the implementation phase of setting a number of those recommendations into motion. The city's sign regulations were discussed in more detail at the City Council meeting on Dec. 14, 2011 and an ordinance is being drafted for the initial round of process improvements, resulting from the Business Task Force's recommendations. Staff is starting to work on more extensive process improvements based on additional recommendations - and because of the complexity of those changes - which will take a little bit longer to draft and implement.

The Planning & Development department plans to make Community Development Code amendments by implementing short-, medium-, and long-term goals. One of the long-term changes has already been made: a complete, organizational restructuring of the department, to include the addition of a Development Service Center Manager. Scott Kurleman will serve in this capacity, and his role will be to help improve development coordination, deal with customers, manage priorities as they come through door, and help streamline and maximize the overall level of service through departmental and inter-departmental boundaries. The Final Report is available online.

The Clearwater Business Task Force was established in 2011 by the Clearwater City Council to provide feedback on the current rules and regulations affecting businesses and business development. The Task Force is made up of 17 individuals from a variety of business and community backgrounds. This task force will make recommendations to the Council and the City will determine whether to take it further and make changes to the Code.

2011 Business Task Force Final Report

Task Force Members

Meeting Notices

• August 2, 2011
• July 12, 2011
• July 5, 2011
• June 21, 2011

Agendas

• July 12, 2011
• May 24, 2011
• May 9, 2011
• April 18, 2011

Minutes

• May 24, 2011
• May 9, 2011
• April 18, 2011

Documents

• Construction Services & Development Review Data for the Business Task Force, 7/12/11 (*5 MB file*)
• Whiteboard Points from 05/24/11 Meeting
• Flexible Development Application Mark-Up from 05/09/11 Meeting

Correspondence

• Correspondences from 08/09/11 through 08/17/11
• Correspondences from 08/04/11 through 08/09/11
• Correspondences from 07/10/11 through 07/27/11
• Correspondences from 07/01/11 through 07/09/11
• Correspondences from 06/13/11 through 06/24/11
• Correspondence from Steve Engelhardt, Rec'v 06/03/11
• Correspondence from Joe Burdette Recv'd 06/02/11
• Correspondence from Alan Ebbert, Recv'd 06/01/11
• Correspondence from Alan Bomstein, Recv'd 06/01/11
• Correspondence from Mark Klein, Recv'd 06/01/11
• Correspondence from Brian Aungst, Jr., Recv'd 06/01/11
• Correspondence from Robert Pergolizzi Recv'd 05/25/11
• Correspondence from Alex Plisko Recv'd 05/18/11
• Correspondence from Kathleen Peters Recv'd 05/12/11
• Correspondence from Joe Burdette Recv'd 04/28/11
• Correspondence from Brian Aungst, Jr., Recv'd 04/28/11

Supporting Documents

• Community Development Code
• Beach by Design Plan